Grit and Gutsy-ness Make Nina Vaca a Woman to Watch

Nina Vaca started Pinnacle Group 21 years ago. She has grown it from a small IT company into a global workforce-solutions powerhouse. In 2015, Pinnacle was ranked the #1 American Express and Women Presidents’ Organization Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Company. Revenue exceeded $1 billion dollars. Pinnacle was ranked #2 in 2016 and 2017.

The rise to the top is never a straight line. There are moments when you are not sure if that big, bold step you are taking will be the right one. For Nina, there were several such moments.

In the wake of 9/11, and after the birth of the second of her four children, the economy froze and so, too, did Pinnacle's traditional staffing model. Corporations just didn’t want to hire. “I was looking at a liquidation plan. Not making payroll is one of the hardest moments for a CEO. The stress and pressure to know that it is not just your life but it is other people’s, too,” said Nina. “Entrepreneurs see opportunities that no one else does.” She took full control of the company and re-engineered its service offerings.

In 2007, she seized an opportunity to enter the managed-services sector with an ambitious $100 million program.

In 2009, in response to the economic downturn, Nina expanded by offering services in Canada. Exporting is a great opportunity for U.S. companies.

In 2011, Nina expanded Pinnacle’s offering into VMS (vendor management software) by acquiring Provade, which offers enterprise-class VMS that enables clients to manage their contingent workforce spend. Pinnacle further broadened its managed service offerings in 2011-2012 by adding payrolling and IC compliance to its portfolio.

Importantly, Nina shared advice from the mainstage, which included becoming a certified minority/women-owned business. “Certification has been integral in the growth of Pinnacle,” said Nina. It doesn’t give you the business. It gives you access to opportunities but you have to prove yourself, she explained.

Access to markets is critical to all businesses. Having customers who spend billions on goods and services, such as the Fortune 1000 or government agencies, increases your chances for high growth. Having your company certified as a women and/or minority owned business opens access to corporate and government contracts. If the federal government is a customer, women-owned businesses are 23 times more likely to be million-dollar businesses, according to American Express OPEN research about government small business contracting.

Certification is more than just access. Organizations, such as WBENC and its regional affiliates and NYC SBS, train you in ways to get the business and deliver on your promise. The networking opportunities aren’t just to meet procurement managers. They help you meet other women business owners. “We are part of something much bigger than just ourselves, we are also part of ‘girl power,’” said Nina. “We help each other.”

What really impressed me about Nina was that she was still there when the lights were being turned off in the venue. She spoke to attendees individually about the challenges they face. Her words of wisdom and encouragement would go along way with these female founders.

Nina isn’t the only entrepreneur who gives back in this way. She’s a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE). Others include Sarah Blakely, Tory Burch, Julie Hanna, Debbie Sterling and Alexa von Tobel, to name a few. As they say, seeing is believing. Half of the entrepreneurial ambassadors are women. As an entrepreneurial ambassador, Nina was challenged to contribute even more. She serves as the Chairman Emeritus of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Through them, and with the encourage of President Obama, she has started At the Table, which provides inspiration, leadership training and mentorship. It started as a national movement but expect to see local chapters in 2017.